FB: American Rivers Conference

[badgerwarhawk]

The tight end recruit, transfer quarterback and running back will probably upgrade Dubuque's program but expecting them to put it over the top immediately may be a stretch.  I really don't know that much about the rest of Dubuque's program however. 

Keep in mind that Langer (qb), if he in fact is transfering, played one complete game for us and the offense was unable to get a single first down for the entire second half though he did look decent in the first half. 

Hookstead (te,de) will get eaten alive at defensive end if your opponents have any size to them at all.  I would expect that he's going to be playing on the offensive side of the ball.

Spaulding has great speed and he's a hard nosed player but he is undersized.  However if he gets past the the dline and into space his speed and mobility can cause some problems for defenders.

JMO

[Alfredeneumann]

Coocoo,
I don't think I belittled anything. You take a shot @ Wartburg about having not won an INDIVIDUAL award. So I gently reminded you of the TEAM success the Knights have enjoyed this year and in years past.

I am not related to Warthog, great minds just think alike.

[Warhawk 96]

There is no doubt, in my mind, that Dubuque is heading in the right direction. And there is no doubt that young Zweifel will be an immediate impact player in this conference. As far as the other transfers and contending for the crown this year? That might be a reach.
  I don't think a Frosh. tight end is going to come in and be an immediate upgrade over a 2nd team all-conference tight end. And I'm not sure that a running back with 17 collegiate carries under his belt or a QB that was 16 for 34 passing last year will put the Spartans over the top. Add quality depth?You bet.
Dubuques weakness last season come from being last in run defense, 2nd to last in scoring D. last in turnover margin, ect. Also notable holes to fill on the O-Line.
I'm sure coach Zweifel is more aware of his needs than I, and I'm sure he is addressing them. In time to contend this season?

I'm not saying it's a done and done deal, I'm just saying that at the end of the year I wouldn't be surprised if Dubuque was one of the top teams in the conference. If you have two quality tight ends and a great wide receiver, it can make some very scary match-ups on offense especially when they're both on the field. I think you're underestimating the "17 carry back". He's a quality young athlete who was initially recruited to be a preferred walk-on at Minnesota. The stable is just so big at UWW that the horse didn't get a shot, especially after getting injured. I remember a guy who was in this same type of position. He got injured his freshman year and didn't get much playing time for the rest of the year. Then he went on to break NCAA rushing records and eventually win a Gagliardi. That man was Justin Beaver.

Defensively, I have no clue what shape DBQ is in so enlighten me on what they have on that side of the ball. Were they young? Do they have a lot of returners?

I was playing nice, but if you insist. The 2nd team all-conference tight end graduated. He was 2nd team because there wasn't one on 1st team, because the IIAC doesn't have 15 or 16 1st team all-conference players. I'm not going to make any comments about the running back or Qb, aside from what I already said.
There was another reason that Beaver didn't get a lot of playing time his Freshman year. I'll let you fill in the blank there.
As to the defensive side of the ball? No and No.

1. If the all-conference tight end graduated, why bring him up?
2. Nope, not another reason.......unless you are referring to his redshirt year which of course does not count.

[Thunderbolt]

1. I'll stand by my original post.
2. I was referring to the Sophmore that led the WIAC in rushing in 04. Burns misfortune left the door open for Beaver, who drove a truck through it. I give him all the credit in the world for that.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

Coocoo,
I don't think I belittled anything. You take a shot @ Wartburg about having not won an INDIVIDUAL award. So I gently reminded you of the TEAM success the Knights have enjoyed this year and in years past.

I am not related to Warthog, great minds just think alike.

Yes you did try to belittle Bender's award.  The things you wrote about it would be like me saying, "sure you won Wrestling and Indoor track, but not that many schools have wrestling and there are a lot of indviduals playing winter sports during indoor track season and so that is just an also ran title," but I didn't do that.  I definately didn't do any "digging" to try and belittle your two titles in lesser sports.  Wartburg guys are constantly pointing out what they have, and what others don't.  I did it once and you spent the afternoon coming up with comments about how crappy Coe was while Bender was there.

Alf E. you silly.

[Alfredeneumann]

CooCoocachoo.
My research on what Coe did in the playoffs when Bender was there was in response to a WH question about what the Kohawks did in the playoffs during his time. I had time to do some digging last night, so I did. The were no smiley faces or haha's or anything expressing delight in their losses. When I saw the St John score I felt bad for ANYONE having to go thru a game like that, but I posted it as an answer a question and added info on how far the team the beat Coe went in the playoffs.

Obviously Carey Bender was one of the best football players @ the D3 level ever in/from the state of Iowa and for one season was the best player in the country.


School's out and so am I.

[Warhawk 96]

My point regarding the TE position was that you can't upgrade what isn't there. The guy is gone. If there is any upgrade to be done it's between the people there and the ones coming in.
Beaver actually started the first game of the season in 04 and it was looking as if he and Burns were going to share the load. When Beav messed up his hamstring it left the door open for Burns who almost literally was a truck driving through the door. Ironically, the opposite happened later on with Burn's head injury and Beaver getting the bulk of the carries which is what you were referrring to.

[Purple Heys]

It only matters whose playing this year, not whether it would be Burken or a new kid.  If this year's Spartan TE doesn't at least achieve 2nd team IIAC status, it would appear to represent a downgrade to the previous year's performance for the Spartans at the position.

Positional performance is not tied to any given position occupant...it's year over year numbers.  Will this year's TE provide betters numbers at this position than was performed last year?

Of course we can argue but let's go to the tale of the tape...

Experience
2008: 2-year starter as a senior captain coming off a All-IIAC Honorable Mention Junior Year
2009: New kid from High School
Advantage:  2008

Size:
2008:  6'6" 230 lb.  22 year old young man
2009:  6'4" 230 lb.  18 year old still-maturing boy
Advantage: 2008, though by closer margin

Offense Style:
2008:  Coach B.  Somewhat of a balance attack guy, with the ball thrown more toward the wideouts.  UD tended to try to go vertical.
2009:  Coach Z.  I would think that a good portion of the throws might be directed to Z junior's direction.  But it's conceiveable the ball gets spread around in more of a possession/short route approach
Advantage:  Push.  There's really no way to predict this.

Competition:
2008: Competed for 3 previous years against college athletes
2009: Competed for 3 previous years against JV and Varsity HS athletes
Advantage:  2008

Other factors (College Level academics, away from home, new environs)
2008:  Been there, done that
2009:  Wet behind the ears but eager
Advantage:  2008.  Age and experience trumps youthful exhuberance

We can agree to disagree here but IMHO, 2008 wins, but it is not doom and gloom for the 2009 kid.  If he's all you say, UD won't have too much drop off.  So while the new kid may surprise, it's more likely that this year represents good on the job training for the kid with the dividends to pay off in the long term.

(BTW, I've seen this play out first hand.  My kid happens to go 6'5" and 250 and plays TE for Cornell.  He will be a senior in 2009.  He came in as a freshman with a good pedigree, but he really needed that 1st year to transition to the college level.  He had some success but got knocked around plenty too.  Now he does more than his fair share of knocking around)

[Warhawk 96]

Yeah, we're gonna have to agree to disagree. I understand what you are saying but I don't see it in the same light as you. I'm not holding him to the standard of the previous all-conference selection. It's a comparison that holds absolutely no bearing on 2009 because the veteran won't be there regardless of who fills the void. We can compare whoever fills that role to the previous year and more than likely look at that player as lackluster or we can treat the acquisition of another athlete as a possible improvement on what could have been. I prefer to do the latter.

[OzJohnnie]

Come on, IIAC!  Don't you get it?  The WIAC is sending you newbies and second stringers, and everyone knows that the WIAC is The Toughest Conference On Earth (c).  Be grateful for the scraps you bums!  Jeez, talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.


EDIT:  In case it isn't clear, Iowa didn't know how to spell football until Wisconsin sent a few folks your way.  Now you guys are the real deal.  You should be happy.

[coocooforcoekohawk]

Come on, IIAC!  Don't you get it?

OZ Johnnie, What is with your Australian rules football fetish? 

Rugby Union is the only way to go.

Springboks rule. Wallabies drool.

[OzJohnnie]

Come on, IIAC!  Don't you get it?

OZ Johnnie, What is with your Australian rules football fetish? 

Rugby Union is the only way to go.

Springboks rule. Wallabies drool.

Good golly.  The South Africans?!?  I could understand, barely, backing the Kiwi's since they are the best Union players in the world.  But to pick the dirtiest team to play the game?  Fightin' words.

"It was appalling out there," Robinson said. "South Africa were dirty from the start. They should concentrate on playing the game rather than trying to maim everyone. The game's tough enough as it is but they were trying to hurt you purposefully. There's a difference between physicality and cheap shots. Their game was full of cheap shots."

[warthog]

I'm not exactly sure how I got thrown into the war of words between coocoo... & Alfred E.

I thought there was some potential fun in discovering how many national team titles the IIAC has.

Expanding on coocoo.......'s list of the national award for the football MVPs, what other IIAC players have been MVPs of their sport?  I assume we've had an IIAC wrestler or two be elected MV of the tournament.  How about basketball, softball, track & field etc.?

[doolittledog]

Speaking of aussie rules football...

Whatever happened to this guy???

[OzJohnnie]

Ha!  Jacko!  Classic.  I actually sat at table next to Jacko in a Melbourne restaurant back in the mid-90's.  The guy was an goon that both his teammates and opponents despised.  He used to flip off the crowd after he scored a goal because even his team's supporters would boo him.  That being said, he was a very good kick and popular in an unpopular sort of way.

He still appears in commercials from time to time and does the odd movie, I think.